Chapter Sixty-One: The Illusory Volcano

“Elements are the foundation of the world...” As he listened to the conversation between the wizards, Qi Xiao tried not to comprehend, instead sealing these words away, etching them deep within his memory to be studied at a later time. Since their teacher had not stopped this quiet contest, it was clear he believed there was no harm in listening—perhaps even some benefit. Qi Xiao resolved to remember as much as possible; ordinary apprentices rarely had such chances.

He sought solace in this, comforting himself, while glancing sympathetically at the silver-haired wizard’s apprentice. After all, the three of them were only intermediate apprentices; even if they could not endure, it was expected. But that youth, the sole advanced apprentice and the study’s master’s own disciple, would bring shame to his teacher if he was not the last to yield. The pressure he faced was evident.

Soon enough, the sturdy young man’s face flushed a deep red. He hurriedly used magic to seal his ears. Seeing this, Qi Xiao emptied his mind and chose to give up as well. He’d never intended to stand out; too much, after all, could be as bad as too little. What he’d heard already would serve him for a long time—there was no need to push himself further. All that mattered was not being the first to quit.

Yet the sturdy youth misunderstood, sending Qi Xiao a look of gratitude, clearly believing Qi Xiao had done so to spare him embarrassment.

The graceful witch with flowing hair still gritted her teeth and endured, but before long, Melanie closed her apprentice’s ears for her—her teacher understood her limits even better than she did, and stubbornly persisting would only bring harm.

The gaunt youth breathed a sigh of relief and likewise withdrew his senses.

The four full wizards continued their conversation, heedless of the apprentices. Qi Xiao closed his eyes, quietly digesting what he’d learned, inwardly praying no kind of contest or challenge would follow.

As he prayed, a pungent, acrid scent of sulfur suddenly filled his nose. Qi Xiao’s eyes snapped open, and the scene before him was utterly unfamiliar. He seemed to stand atop a volcano, surrounded by searing magma. The thunderous rush of molten rock and the trembling of the earth shook him to his core.

The air was stifling and hot, waves of heat pressing in until he could scarcely breathe.

Qi Xiao’s heart tensed, but he quickly calmed himself. He was, after all, beside four wizards; anyone able to spirit him away under their noses would hardly bother with such petty tricks. Coupled with Melanie’s reputation as a master of illusions, it was clear—he was within an illusion, most likely as part of some test.

Letting out a slow breath, Qi Xiao began to observe his strange surroundings.

Beneath his feet stretched a jagged field of volcanic rock. Black and red, the stones seemed to glow faintly in the heat, reflecting the firelight of the magma.

Wherever he looked, magma surged sluggishly within the crater. Occasionally, a fountain of molten rock would erupt with a thunderous blast, sending up clouds of steam.

Waves of heat assaulted Qi Xiao relentlessly. His skin prickled with burning sensation; sweat evaporated instantly from his brow. Beyond the roar of magma, he heard the popping of volcanic stones shattering in the heat and the muffled rumble of distant ground tremors caused by flowing lava.

It was all so real—so real that, for a moment, Qi Xiao doubted his conclusion. But he knew this had to be an illusion.

Given that, the most important thing was to seek out the inconsistencies. As an alchemist, Qi Xiao was naturally familiar with all kinds of ores, so he began his investigation with the surrounding rocks and minerals.

After all, he had never heard of Melanie achieving anything notable in the field of alchemy. Even for a full wizard, it was only natural to make mistakes in unfamiliar territory.

Qi Xiao carefully examined the nearby rocks and minerals, letting his fingers glide over the rough volcanic stone, feeling its texture and temperature. He scrutinized the striations and the crystalline structure, searching for anything that defied the laws of nature.

He first checked the composition of the volcanic rock. It was nothing special—just ordinary minerals, rich in iron and magnesium, tightly bonded and dark in hue. Though he rarely used such materials, he had studied them before.

Finding nothing amiss, Qi Xiao moved on, searching for possible sulfide minerals like pyrite or sphalerite, both common in volcanic environments.

He patted his pocket in relief; his portable microscope was still with him. Using it, he observed the crystals’ shapes and axes, which all appeared perfectly natural.

Qi Xiao then compared the broader environment—the color of the lava, the density of the smoke, the form of the steam—trying to spot any discordant details.

As an alchemist, his sensitivity to temperature was unusually keen. He tried to sense the distribution of heat in the air, seeking any anomalous hot spots.

Closing his eyes, Qi Xiao silently cast a mental probe, attempting to detect any magical fluctuations or hidden illusion nodes, any structures of power within the vision.

Yet, after careful investigation, he discovered no obvious flaws. The rocks, minerals, crystals, environment, and temperature all matched a true volcanic setting.

Even so, Qi Xiao began forming a theory.

There were too many crystals here. Perhaps the creator of the illusion was aware of this issue and had tried to disguise it by scattering the crystal-bearing rocks widely. But in doing so, the arrangement had become too deliberate, throwing off the natural balance.

“These crystals are too perfect—so flawless it’s unnatural. Even the most exquisite minerals in nature have flaws, but these crystals are impeccable,” Qi Xiao mused. The illusionist, in trying to conceal this problem, had fashioned most of the crystals with apparent imperfections, but the remaining perfect ones were utterly flawless. The contrast between perfect and flawed crystals should not be so stark, and the ratio itself was off.

Had Qi Xiao not known he was inside an illusion, he might never have noticed. But, forewarned, it was easier to work backward from the result.

He sent out another mental probe, this time focusing on subtle magical fluctuations, especially those that might correspond to the perfection of the crystals.

Qi Xiao suspected these crystals were likely hidden illusion nodes, the keystones holding the entire vision together. He considered whether tampering with them might disrupt the illusion’s equilibrium.

Before acting, Qi Xiao studied the distribution of the crystals, searching for patterns, arrangements, or geometric alignments that might reveal the underlying structure of the illusion.

Once everything was certain, Qi Xiao carefully cast a minor spell to interfere.

“Stone to mud!”

As Qi Xiao whispered the incantation, his hand gently touched a crystal. The simple spell, usually meant to turn fragile objects to sand in battle, was intended here to subtly alter the structure of the crystal, hoping to disrupt its function as an illusion node.